February 14, 2025 • 10 mins
The Hurricanes take on the Crusaders in the first Super Rugby Pacific match of 2025 in Christchurch tonight - what can we expect from both teams, and who will come out on top?
Also, Saturday night sees the Blues take on the Chiefs in a rematch of last year's final - how are those teams looking?
To answer those question, All Sport Breakfast host Adam Cooper and Newstalk ZB Christchurch sports reporter Nick Bewley joined Nick Mills for the Friday Sport Kickoff.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks EDB. Get a use it for your
sporting weekend. It's the Wellington Mornings Friday Sport Kickoff on
News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Joining us for Friday sports kickoffers or Sports Breakfast host
Adam Cooper. Good morning Coops. Neck, You're right, you're feeling
okay about tonight? Are you excited?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Ah, I'm not nervous. I'm excited to see how well
both these teams go actually tonight.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, well, one of them hasn't won too many games lately, hasn't.
That's going to christ Church. Our sports reporter Nick Berley.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Good morning Neck, Good morning Neck.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Well you haven't won too many games lately, have you,
so we should be okay for me.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Look, I don't belong to the Crusaders, but I'm here
in prices. Yeah. No, they haven't gone so well in
twenty twenty four. They've got okay after Friday that fourteen
trophies or something. But yeah, look, fascinating, fascinating game tonight
and a real I guess at early stake in the
ground to see where the Crusaders are compared to the
last year and it was pretty ring this for them,
(01:19):
four wins from fourteen didn't make the playoffs. They say
to us that they've gone through this very thorough review
with the fine tooth comb and made these little one
percent adjustments. So this is really the first chance for
the public to have a look at whether they are
any better than they were last year. I look on paper, though,
I can you know guys like will Jordan back Scott
(01:40):
Barrett only played four games last year to Mighty Williams
as well all Blacks players, and they should be there
or thereabouts, don't know, have to beat the Hurricanes though.
I like that team on papers.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So we've got former rugby player, very well known rugby
player and mayor of Upper Hut Wayne Guppy waiting to
come on the show. He just told Coops this.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, he said the Hurricanes are going to win went easily,
so I like his positive. He's obviously been on boards
of Hurricanes and Wellington Rugby, hasn't he, So he's got
some credentials there. But yeah, I guess the overarching question
around the Hurricanes, specially tonight where they've still got a
few players out, is how will this ready young back
line perform, you know, with Harry Godfrey at age twenty
(02:24):
two steering the ship at first five, you've got Peter
who Munger Jetson at twelve, who is obviously one of
the more experienced members of this team, who I thought
was a real standout during their game but didn't play
for too long, but the moment he had on the field,
he was really strong in that preseason game against the
Blues that well I knew he last week I thought
he made some great breaks and he looks to have
come back from that injury from the NPC last year
(02:45):
in far better shape and far more determined. He's in
this kind of duel with Riley Higgins for the number
twelve Jersey. I think it's making both of them a
lot more hungry, and he's won the NOD this week.
But then you've got Callum Harkin debuting at fullback and
also got on the right wing faih fung Aernoko, who
was a New Zealand seven's reap making a Super Rugby
debut as part of the back three as well. So
(03:08):
it's going to be really interesting to see how that
lack of experience and over all this year minus Jordy
Barrett stares the Hurricanes back line. It's going to be challenging,
I think, Nick, I just want to jump in quickly.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
What does it say though about a Wellingtonian, an ex
rufie and Kyle Preston turning his back on the Hurricanes
coming down here to play the Crusaders after the year
they had last year.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, interesting dollar thing might be something to do with
the dollar. But I want to ask you, Nick, I
want to ask you about Riley Higgins because we're in
the newsroom here. Got a bit of a fright when
we saw that name not being read out in the
twenty three Now. I asked Coop straight away. Well, Coops
told me and I said to him, more MSB injured.
He says, no, they haven't put him in the twenty
three Now. This guy was last year on the second
(03:50):
All Black team, really the New Zealand fifteen. Call him
what you want, but that's the backup All Black team
and he can't make the Hurricanes twenty three.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Yeah, I must have met when those team lists came
out on Wednesday afternoon. I was pretty surprised as well.
I've how do we crack at this new Super Rugby
fantasy game? Him and guy Riley Higgins I was thinking
about with a sort of a value purchase given the
way he goes about his work. He's a tackle break,
a uncompromising midfielder, and yeah, I must admit yes, I
like the game of among A Jensen as well. But
(04:20):
I saw Riley Higgins tall Cannibury to shreds in person
and run your or during a commentary in the NPC
last year and I just think he's got future all
black written all over him. So maybe just are we
reminded there that you know, nothing can be taken for
granted for these type of players coming through, and they
need to put in the work and prove to the
coaches and selectors that they deserve to be there.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
What do you make of the little bit of the
niggles or rumors floating around that your assistant coach to
Welsh guy what's his name something Jans. I'm trying to
think of his first name, but anyway, the assistant coach
of the Crusaders. He's Welsh and they might be trying
to entice him back to be part of the new
program at Wales.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Have you heard that, oh, miss Brad Moore, No.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
I think it's as someone Jones anyway, he's used to
play first five for.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
I think it's Stephen Jones.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Stephen Jones, that's what it is.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
He's with He's with Milana. But but yeah, look that
wouldn't surprise me. I mean it was a bit of
a surprising naming in terms of the coaching set up
for him to come all the way down to Auckland
to work under Munger.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Oh sorry, I thought he was with the Crusaders. It
was my mistake.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
So one night, every every other team is another person.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
No, No, I just I saw them the right up
and I just bect that wrong. So I got that
one wrong. So what makes Crusaders better Nick this year
than they were last year? Same coach, same players, What
makes them better?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Well, I'd have to challenge you on the same players aspect.
You know, No, Will Jordans for all of us year
his shoulder surgery. He's world class and you know touch wood,
He's going to play a lot of rugby for the
Crusaders this season. He's there at fallback tonight to try
scoring machine. He just makes things happen out of nothing.
So I think it's a huge tick in the column
(06:10):
of the Crusaders just to have his presence on the park.
And then Scott Barrett as well, like he only had
three or four games, And I think it's actually a
really sensible decision Nick for Scott Barrett to relinquish the
Crusaders captaincy, like there's no way and you look back
at previous iterations when it was Karen Reed who was
a Crusaders captain and an All Backs captain, or Richie mccare.
(06:31):
There's just too much not only on field responsibility, but
off field responsibility. When you got a front of the media,
you got to go see your corporate sponsors and the like.
And I think for him to just concentrate on rugby,
get his body right first and foremost, because he only
played four games the Crusaders last year, but he is,
if not the best forward going around and super rugby
and I think he'll have a huge influence on this
(06:53):
team provided he stays on the park. So both two alone,
I think put the Crusaders in a different conversation than
they were last year. They were here last year.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Pickettick Pickett, come on.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Pikett pick tonight. Yeah, my hits is the Crusaders. I
think they're going to get off to a really good start.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Coops, Well, you know what I was thinking, Crusaders all
this week. I just thought this just you know, the
Hurricanes slightly weakened. The Crusader's got something to prove. But
I don't know. Maybe it's the excitement of the game
that my allegiance might be coming through a little bit here,
But I'm going to go Hurricanes by about four or five.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, I'm going to go Hurricanes as well, quickly, Blues
Chiefs big ticket sales twenty five at thousand last night,
so big game. Who you got there?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Nick? Yeah, this is the game of the round by far,
and cudos to the super baking schedulers for getting mis
organized round one. I've got the Blues, although I must admit,
what are they doing with Boat and Barratts and commission?
What are the Chiefs doing with Damian McKinsey play. These
guys at tens are the all Black tens and they're
both at fullback, So that was a bit questionable.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Coops, Who you got?
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Blues as well, and probably for the title as well,
to be honest, really, you go, here's my production. You
locked that in.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
You're going early coops. You're going to go early with yours.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah, I'm going Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Wow, I'm not going to make a commitment yet. Come on,
I've got the coach wrong from where in the wrong
town on a program.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
That you made a commitment to me over at bought
lunch that role Penny wouldn't be in this job.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
The game hasn't started yet. It's got a lot of
time between now and seven o'clock tonight. I ain't given
up with that lunch just yet. Quickly Wellington Phoenix versus
Melbourne victory await tonight another big night of sported.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
There were hurricanes and then watching and Islanders are on
at the same time as well. But yeah, Phoenix, I
think they're so close to us being able to say
there's seasons done, that's there's really there are two wins
outside the playoff from They've got a really tough run
of games, Melbourne victory inside the top six, they got
Auckland and the derby up there next weekend. I just
think that's too little, too late. Getting the likes of
(08:58):
Alex Rufe back. I've just had Tim Payne back. But
I just I just fear and you know that they
just haven't quite had the people there to match up
with Costa Barbarusis's dominance up front, and they just haven't
been able to score goals and get wins. They've had
a lot of draws, but haven't been able to get wins.
And I just think this latest injection of a few reinforcements,
got a new Portuguese guy that's just joined the team,
(09:19):
it might just be coming a little bit too late unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
So you're going to go Melbourne tonight. Yeah, okay, I'm
going to go to anything, Nick. They won't be listening.
They'll be over there, Nick Bawley, who are you going for?
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I'll be going for the Phoenix. And look, I keep
some of it up perfectly there. But I just wanted
to add there of course, down here a couple of
weeks back, hosting the Central Coast down here in christ Church,
and I thought, in terms of a match day experience crowd,
there's heaps of people that came down from Wellington part
of that Yellow Fever. It was up there with some
of the best sort of sporting atmosphere I've seen in
christ Church for a number of years. Kudos to the team.
(09:52):
They put on a really good product, and I know
they're very excited to come back down here when we
have our brand spanking new stadium to open in about
a year's time. So I wish them all the best.
And I think now that Auckland FC is in the competition,
a lot of Cantabrians are supporting Wellington Phoenix. We're going
to never support to a walk content.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Nick Burley, thank you very much for joining us, and
have a good call of the game tonight. I'll be
listening on iHeartRadio, so have an enjoyable game and go
the Hurricanes. Adam Cooper on Adam Cooper on All Sports
Breakfast tomorrow from seven am.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Don't miss it for more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills.
Listen live to news Talks There'd Be Wellington from nine
am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks EDB. Get a use it for your
sporting weekend. It's the Wellington Mornings Friday Sport Kickoff on
News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Joining us for Friday sports kickoffers or Sports Breakfast host
Adam Cooper. Good morning Coops. Neck, You're right, you're feeling
okay about tonight? Are you excited?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Ah, I'm not nervous. I'm excited to see how well
both these teams go actually tonight.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, well, one of them hasn't won too many games lately, hasn't.
That's going to christ Church. Our sports reporter Nick Berley.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Good morning Neck, Good morning Neck.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Well you haven't won too many games lately, have you,
so we should be okay for me.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Look, I don't belong to the Crusaders, but I'm here
in prices. Yeah. No, they haven't gone so well in
twenty twenty four. They've got okay after Friday that fourteen
trophies or something. But yeah, look, fascinating, fascinating game tonight
and a real I guess at early stake in the
ground to see where the Crusaders are compared to the
last year and it was pretty ring this for them,
(01:19):
four wins from fourteen didn't make the playoffs. They say
to us that they've gone through this very thorough review
with the fine tooth comb and made these little one
percent adjustments. So this is really the first chance for
the public to have a look at whether they are
any better than they were last year. I look on paper, though,
I can you know guys like will Jordan back Scott
(01:40):
Barrett only played four games last year to Mighty Williams
as well all Blacks players, and they should be there
or thereabouts, don't know, have to beat the Hurricanes though.
I like that team on papers.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
So we've got former rugby player, very well known rugby
player and mayor of Upper Hut Wayne Guppy waiting to
come on the show. He just told Coops this.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, he said the Hurricanes are going to win went easily,
so I like his positive. He's obviously been on boards
of Hurricanes and Wellington Rugby, hasn't he, So he's got
some credentials there. But yeah, I guess the overarching question
around the Hurricanes, specially tonight where they've still got a
few players out, is how will this ready young back
line perform, you know, with Harry Godfrey at age twenty
(02:24):
two steering the ship at first five, you've got Peter
who Munger Jetson at twelve, who is obviously one of
the more experienced members of this team, who I thought
was a real standout during their game but didn't play
for too long, but the moment he had on the field,
he was really strong in that preseason game against the
Blues that well I knew he last week I thought
he made some great breaks and he looks to have
come back from that injury from the NPC last year
(02:45):
in far better shape and far more determined. He's in
this kind of duel with Riley Higgins for the number
twelve Jersey. I think it's making both of them a
lot more hungry, and he's won the NOD this week.
But then you've got Callum Harkin debuting at fullback and
also got on the right wing faih fung Aernoko, who
was a New Zealand seven's reap making a Super Rugby
debut as part of the back three as well. So
(03:08):
it's going to be really interesting to see how that
lack of experience and over all this year minus Jordy
Barrett stares the Hurricanes back line. It's going to be challenging,
I think, Nick, I just want to jump in quickly.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
What does it say though about a Wellingtonian, an ex
rufie and Kyle Preston turning his back on the Hurricanes
coming down here to play the Crusaders after the year
they had last year.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, interesting dollar thing might be something to do with
the dollar. But I want to ask you, Nick, I
want to ask you about Riley Higgins because we're in
the newsroom here. Got a bit of a fright when
we saw that name not being read out in the
twenty three Now. I asked Coop straight away. Well, Coops
told me and I said to him, more MSB injured.
He says, no, they haven't put him in the twenty
three Now. This guy was last year on the second
(03:50):
All Black team, really the New Zealand fifteen. Call him
what you want, but that's the backup All Black team
and he can't make the Hurricanes twenty three.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Yeah, I must have met when those team lists came
out on Wednesday afternoon. I was pretty surprised as well.
I've how do we crack at this new Super Rugby
fantasy game? Him and guy Riley Higgins I was thinking
about with a sort of a value purchase given the
way he goes about his work. He's a tackle break,
a uncompromising midfielder, and yeah, I must admit yes, I
like the game of among A Jensen as well. But
(04:20):
I saw Riley Higgins tall Cannibury to shreds in person
and run your or during a commentary in the NPC
last year and I just think he's got future all
black written all over him. So maybe just are we
reminded there that you know, nothing can be taken for
granted for these type of players coming through, and they
need to put in the work and prove to the
coaches and selectors that they deserve to be there.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
What do you make of the little bit of the
niggles or rumors floating around that your assistant coach to
Welsh guy what's his name something Jans. I'm trying to
think of his first name, but anyway, the assistant coach
of the Crusaders. He's Welsh and they might be trying
to entice him back to be part of the new
program at Wales.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Have you heard that, oh, miss Brad Moore, No.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
I think it's as someone Jones anyway, he's used to
play first five for.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
I think it's Stephen Jones.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Stephen Jones, that's what it is.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
He's with He's with Milana. But but yeah, look that
wouldn't surprise me. I mean it was a bit of
a surprising naming in terms of the coaching set up
for him to come all the way down to Auckland
to work under Munger.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Oh sorry, I thought he was with the Crusaders. It
was my mistake.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
So one night, every every other team is another person.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
No, No, I just I saw them the right up
and I just bect that wrong. So I got that
one wrong. So what makes Crusaders better Nick this year
than they were last year? Same coach, same players, What
makes them better?
Speaker 4 (05:50):
Well, I'd have to challenge you on the same players aspect.
You know, No, Will Jordans for all of us year
his shoulder surgery. He's world class and you know touch wood,
He's going to play a lot of rugby for the
Crusaders this season. He's there at fallback tonight to try
scoring machine. He just makes things happen out of nothing.
So I think it's a huge tick in the column
(06:10):
of the Crusaders just to have his presence on the park.
And then Scott Barrett as well, like he only had
three or four games, And I think it's actually a
really sensible decision Nick for Scott Barrett to relinquish the
Crusaders captaincy, like there's no way and you look back
at previous iterations when it was Karen Reed who was
a Crusaders captain and an All Backs captain, or Richie mccare.
(06:31):
There's just too much not only on field responsibility, but
off field responsibility. When you got a front of the media,
you got to go see your corporate sponsors and the like.
And I think for him to just concentrate on rugby,
get his body right first and foremost, because he only
played four games the Crusaders last year, but he is,
if not the best forward going around and super rugby
and I think he'll have a huge influence on this
(06:53):
team provided he stays on the park. So both two alone,
I think put the Crusaders in a different conversation than
they were last year. They were here last year.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Pickettick Pickett, come on.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Pikett pick tonight. Yeah, my hits is the Crusaders. I
think they're going to get off to a really good start.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Coops, Well, you know what I was thinking, Crusaders all
this week. I just thought this just you know, the
Hurricanes slightly weakened. The Crusader's got something to prove. But
I don't know. Maybe it's the excitement of the game
that my allegiance might be coming through a little bit here,
But I'm going to go Hurricanes by about four or five.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Yeah, I'm going to go Hurricanes as well, quickly, Blues
Chiefs big ticket sales twenty five at thousand last night,
so big game. Who you got there?
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Nick? Yeah, this is the game of the round by far,
and cudos to the super baking schedulers for getting mis
organized round one. I've got the Blues, although I must admit,
what are they doing with Boat and Barratts and commission?
What are the Chiefs doing with Damian McKinsey play. These
guys at tens are the all Black tens and they're
both at fullback, So that was a bit questionable.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Coops, Who you got?
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
Blues as well, and probably for the title as well,
to be honest, really, you go, here's my production. You
locked that in.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
You're going early coops. You're going to go early with yours.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
Yeah, I'm going Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Wow, I'm not going to make a commitment yet. Come on,
I've got the coach wrong from where in the wrong
town on a program.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
That you made a commitment to me over at bought
lunch that role Penny wouldn't be in this job.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
The game hasn't started yet. It's got a lot of
time between now and seven o'clock tonight. I ain't given
up with that lunch just yet. Quickly Wellington Phoenix versus
Melbourne victory await tonight another big night of sported.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
There were hurricanes and then watching and Islanders are on
at the same time as well. But yeah, Phoenix, I
think they're so close to us being able to say
there's seasons done, that's there's really there are two wins
outside the playoff from They've got a really tough run
of games, Melbourne victory inside the top six, they got
Auckland and the derby up there next weekend. I just
think that's too little, too late. Getting the likes of
(08:58):
Alex Rufe back. I've just had Tim Payne back. But
I just I just fear and you know that they
just haven't quite had the people there to match up
with Costa Barbarusis's dominance up front, and they just haven't
been able to score goals and get wins. They've had
a lot of draws, but haven't been able to get wins.
And I just think this latest injection of a few reinforcements,
got a new Portuguese guy that's just joined the team,
(09:19):
it might just be coming a little bit too late unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
So you're going to go Melbourne tonight. Yeah, okay, I'm
going to go to anything, Nick. They won't be listening.
They'll be over there, Nick Bawley, who are you going for?
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I'll be going for the Phoenix. And look, I keep
some of it up perfectly there. But I just wanted
to add there of course, down here a couple of
weeks back, hosting the Central Coast down here in christ Church,
and I thought, in terms of a match day experience crowd,
there's heaps of people that came down from Wellington part
of that Yellow Fever. It was up there with some
of the best sort of sporting atmosphere I've seen in
christ Church for a number of years. Kudos to the team.
(09:52):
They put on a really good product, and I know
they're very excited to come back down here when we
have our brand spanking new stadium to open in about
a year's time. So I wish them all the best.
And I think now that Auckland FC is in the competition,
a lot of Cantabrians are supporting Wellington Phoenix. We're going
to never support to a walk content.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Nick Burley, thank you very much for joining us, and
have a good call of the game tonight. I'll be
listening on iHeartRadio, so have an enjoyable game and go
the Hurricanes. Adam Cooper on Adam Cooper on All Sports
Breakfast tomorrow from seven am.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Don't miss it for more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills.
Listen live to news Talks There'd Be Wellington from nine
am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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